Just six days before he faces a recall election, Arapahoe County Clerk Tracy Baker has appointed his girlfriend -- the woman in the center of the scandal that could oust him from office -- to be voting system supervisor.

Leesa Sale is now his assistant chief deputy and Baker says he is well within his authority to transfer her to voting system supervisor.

The county commissioners are trying to block the move, saying that he should have advertised the opening, as is customary, but not required.

They also say she would be paid too much -- between $44,556 and $69,540 annually -- for a position that doesn't include as many supervisory responsibilities.

Baker says the job was in his budget since the late 1990s and had already been approved by county commissioners. Sale asked for the transfer in January and Baker said she was "the perfect choice."

The commissioners and others want to boot Baker from office, claiming that he mismanaged his office and created a hostile work environment stemming from a sexual relationship with Sale. Seven employees in the clerk and recorder's office have filed claims with the county.

Baker is challenging the recall election, claiming that not all the signatures that were gathered to put the recall on the ballot were valid. A judge may decide Wednesday whether to halt the recall election set for Feb. 24.

More Information:

li />To read e-mails exchanged by Tracy Baker and Leesa Sale, click here. (Adobe Acrobat required). Arapahoe County released of the e-mails after being authorized by the Colorado Court of Appeals.
Recall Tracy Baker campaign
Arapahoe Clerk and Recorder's Office